Hot To Trot: Flat special

Michael Bell

Currently sitting at the top of the pile in terms of in-form trainers based on Timeform’s reckoning is Michael Bell, who has enjoyed a good all-weather campaign overall and has already saddled 7 winners in 2017 at a strike-rate of 24%. Bell is well on his way towards his 2016 total of 37 winners (strike-rate of 11%) before the Flat season gets in to full swing. Bell’s only entry for the coming week at the moment is Instant Karma, but he would definitely be interesting if taking his chance in the one and a half mile handicap at Catterick on Wednesday. Instant Karma has been kept on the go over the winter, running both over hurdles (posted a career-best when second in a listed handicap at Ascot in October) and on the all-weather. He was better than ever when winning a Flat handicap at Kempton on his last start, and should be very competitive after just a 3 lb rise in the weights given his upwardly mobile profile.

William Knight

Close behind Bell in the in-form ranks is William Knight, who landed a quick-fire double at Kempton at the beginning of April courtesy of Jacob Cats, who is in the form of his life at present. Before Jacob Cats’ second win, Knight had saddled three winners and five placed horses from his last 10 runners, and his other runners are well worth looking out for in the coming weeks. Knight has Captain Peacock, who won on his reappearance in 2016, entered on Windsor’s Monday evening card, and though his form seemed to plateaux towards the end of the season, he could well be capable of running well fresh again with his yard in such good form. Secret Art (entered at Nottingham on Wednesday) is a very well-established handicapper at first glance and wouldn’t seem to be that interesting from his current mark. He has had few goes on soft ground, however, and won his only start on that going last season (at Sandown), so could be of interest if there are any April showers around.

Ger Lyons

Although Aidan O’Brien has made a good start to the season, the most in-form trainer in Ireland at the moment by our reckoning is Ger Lyons, who kicked off with a double on Irish Lincoln day at Naas at the end of March and has had winners at Cork and Leopardstown since. Lyons looks set to saddle Lustrous Light in the Group 3 Alleged Stakes on Sunday at Naas, and he could be worth a second look considering he had very much been going the right way as a three-year-old until perhaps being too keen when below form on his final start. Only raced as a three-year-old, Lustrous Light is the type to make an even better four-year-old, and with this race being something of a graveyard for Aidan O’Brien-trained favourites, he is not out of things on Sunday. Early next week, Reckless Endeavour is another interesting runner for the yard. Reckless Endeavour posted his best effort yet when third at Dundalk in October last season, and would have probably won if he hadn’t had to make his effort from a wider position to those that finished around him. He should be very competitive in the seven-furlong handicap at Tipperary on Tuesday.